Protect Montana land, Zinke rapped, unusual month eyed

As a first-time dad to a 10-month-old son, Father’s Day took on a new and special meaning for me.

I grew up in Great Falls, with the Rocky Mountain Front and the Missouri River a short distance away. I fondly remember spending time outdoors with my dad, whether we were hiking, fishing, camping, hunting or skiing. The opportunity to recreate in Montana and enjoy our public land has enhanced my quality of life and has been a deciding factor in raising my family here. Now that I have a son, I look forward to passing on our outdoor heritage, as well as the value of conservation, to him.

However, when I hike in Glacier National Park and observe the melting of its iconic features, I am reminded of the increasing impact climate change is having on our environment. This concerns me as a dad, as my son and future generations will be deprived of the landscapes we all enjoy unless we take a stand in supporting action on climate change. Montana is an amazing place and will, I hope, continue to be if concerted efforts are made to reduce our carbon emissions and protect our resources.

— Kevin Maki,

Helena

Zinke’s about-face

Sadly, in this election year, it is no surprise to see politicians flip-flop. But Montana U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke may have set a new record. Within the span of just 24 hours, Montana’s only member in the U.S. House did an “about face” that hurts public land.

First, in H.R. 3650, he voted against transferring ownership of 2 million acres of American land to the states. Then, he voted in favor of transferring the management of 4 million acres of land to the states in H.R. 2316.

Zinke might argue the these are two different votes on two different issues, but come on! Actions speak louder than words. For Montana citizens, this is a clearly defined issue. Montana says “no” to transfer of public land ownership, “no” to transfer of public land management and, most of all, “no” to transfer of our outdoor heritage to anyone else, period.

Political hypocrisy is a regular event in Washington, D.C., but I am sorry to see our only Montana congressman packing so much of it into a single day’s work.

— Roxanna McLaughlin,

Bozeman

Honky Month?

I’ve noticed that we’ve now had Queer Month, Indian Month and several other “months,” and I’m quite sure the liberals are planning “Illegal Alien Month’’ in the near future.

I would like to propose “Honky/Gringo/Cracker Month” for all of us salt-of-the-earth people who keep this whole country going. We actually have jobs, pay our taxes — plus everybody else’s, are law-abiding and have never even seen a food stamp up close. We contribute to our communities in a positive way every day, donate to charities and are pretty nice people. Let’s hear it for us!